Don't Miss

Arsenal boss ready to promote this exciting midfielder next season

By mac14 on April 5, 2016

According to a report in the Telegraph, Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is set to promote highly-rated midfielder Gedion Zelalem to the first team squad next season.

The 19-year-old joined our youth ranks in 2013 after being spotted by U.S based scout Daniel Karbassiyoon during a Dallas Cup match and it wasn’t long before Zelalem was regarded as one of our hottest young prospects.

The youngster impressed while on our pre-season tour of Asia in 2013, drawing comparisons to Cesc Fabregas for his style of play, before making his first team debut during an FA Cup win over Coventry in January 2014.

Zelalem was sent out on loan to Rangers last summer and after an encouraging start to life in Scotland, the United States international has struggled for playing time since the turn of the year and has managed just 10 minutes of league action in the last eight games.

However, it appears the teenager has still done enough to persuade Wenger he has a future at the Emirates as the Telegraph claim the boss will promote Zelalem to the first team squad this summer.

The newspaper says that with Mikel Arteta, Mathieu Flamini and Tomas Rosicky all set to leave in June, Arsene is going to reshape his midfield this summer and wants to give Gedion the same opportunity to shine as he’s given to Alex Iwobi this season.

I’m personally not convinced that Zelalem is ready to be a first team player just yet and I’d rather see him loaned out to a Premier League or Championship club when he returns from Rangers, but let’s hope he proves me wrong and takes his chance at Arsenal next season.

He is an exciting young talent and has all the attributes needed to be a top midfield player, but he will need to improve his upper body strength if he wants to cut it in the rough and tumble of the Premier League.